AceShowbiz - Disgraced R&B star Chris Brown has spoken out about his emotional Michael Jackson tribute at the recent BET Awards, insisting the performance was his "ultimate apology" for letting fans down by attacking former girlfriend Rihanna.

The "Kiss, Kiss" hitmaker was convicted of assault and ordered to stay away from his ex after confessing he beat her during a heated fight on the eve of the 2009 Grammy Awards. He has publicly apologized for his actions online and on TV many times, but he admits the BET Awards nod to Jackson, during which he broke down and sobbed, was the moment his past problems really hit home.

Speaking on TV show "106 & Park" on Tuesday, August 24, Brown said, "When I heard (Jackson song) Man In The Mirror, it just touched me. It wasn't fake. I know people were trying to put extras on it, but everything was genuine. That was my ultimate apology, hands down."

And there was one other thing that made the performance an emotional one: "A lot of people don't know, I was going to see Michael Jackson the day he died. I was on my way to the Staples Center (in Los Angeles) that day."